


The Goodbye Girl

by IcyJadeXOXO, Section Eight Entertainment (IcyJadeXOXO)



Series: The Hunter Chronicles [7]
Category: White Collar
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, F/M, Gen, Original Character(s), Out of Character, Romance, non-canon characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-14
Updated: 2011-01-14
Packaged: 2017-10-29 15:51:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/321576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyJadeXOXO/pseuds/IcyJadeXOXO, https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyJadeXOXO/pseuds/Section%20Eight%20Entertainment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The same people responsible for Kate Moreau's death now have Alex on their crosshairs. Who can she turn to for help? Also, she crosses path with a mysterious stranger. Could it be possible for her to fall for a man other than Neal Caffrey?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. CHAPTER ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes : Follows "New York". My version of the events prior to and during "Copycat Caffrey". A poor attempt in writing a possible romantic partner for Alex Hunter. Same rules apply...please be kind!
> 
> Disclaimer : I don't own any of the original characters. That honor belongs to Jeff Eastin, White Collar writers and USA Network. All rights to the song, "Feeling Good" belong to Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse.

 

* * *

 

Alex's adrenaline was beginning to wear off. Her legs were tired and was starting to slow down. She was having difficulty breathing. She had been running for what felt like hours.  _Pfffzzztt_  She heard the sound of a bullet hitting the wall, barely missing her head. A reminder of the reason why she couldn't stop running at the moment. Three men dressed in black, armed with guns with silencers, have been chasing her in the streets of  **London**  late at night.

 

She turned left into an alley and looked for a place to hide. Another bullet whizzed past her hitting a lamp post this time. Alex tried to run as fast as she could, all the while looking for an open window, a crevice, any place she can use as a hiding place. She found a dark corner and hid there. The next thing she knew, someone from behind her grabbed her hand. She turned around to find out who it was. She found herself looking at a tall stranger in a long, dark grey coat. He didn't look familiar at all. The man didn't let go of her hand.

 

 _"Run!"_  the man said, as he pulled her onto the other side of the dark alley. So she did the only thing she could and ran.

 

* * *

 

 _ **FLASHBACK**..._

 

She left the hotel back in New York City, believing that she could finally go home to Budapest to be with her son. Once she was at the airport, she noticed men following her not far behind, watching her every move. She ducked inside the ladies restroom and stayed there for a while, knowing that those men won't be able to follow her inside without raising questions. By the time she came out, she no longer resembled Alex Hunter. Instead, she became  **Astrid Bronstad** , a blonde flight attendant for  **Norwegian Airlines**. Alex went past the men who were following her earlier, who fortunately, didn't recognize her in disguise. She kept on walking until she reached the terminal. She took a deep breath.

 

 _There's no turning back now!_  she thought. She boarded the flight from  **JFK**  to  **Bergen International Airport**  in  **Norway**.

 

From the plane, Alex called Aretha to alert her of the situation.  _"It seems that its going to be a while before I can go back home!"_  Alex explained what had happened. About how the people who were after the music box were now after her. And how she now had a bullseye on her back.

 

 _"Just come home, Alex! We'll figure out what to do next once you get here!"_ Aretha told her.

 

 _"No! It's too risky! I'm not bringing danger to where I live! I won't endanger my friends' lives, nor my son's!"_  she explained. She continued.  _"I'll fix this, I swear! Just promise me one thing, Aretha! I want your word that no matter what happens, you WILL keep Nicholas safe! Please!"_ Alex pleaded.

 

 _"Alex, you don't even need to ask! You have my word! I will protect Nicholas at all cost, I promise! Just be safe! Watch_ _your back!"_  Aretha said.

 

 _"Thank you, Aretha! I'll be in touch as soon as I can!"_  Alex promised. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she hung up the phone.

 

* * *

 

The chase that had started in New York didn't end there. Alex had been running for months now. Whoever was after the amber music box had very powerful reach. Alex found out that Kate had been killed in a plane explosion.

 

 _Poor Neal! He must be devastated!_ she thought.

 

But she had problems of her own at the moment. It seems like Alex was next on the hit list. She had mercenaries following her no matter were she went. She did everything, changed the way she looked, wore disguises. She went from one fake identity to another, from one international city to the next.  **Prague** ,  **Lugano** ,  **Berlin** ,  **Amsterdam** ,  **Brussels** ,  **Lisbon** ,  **Palermo** ,  **Barcelona**. She couldn't go anywhere that those men didn't follow.

 

She was running out of places to go, not to mention resources. She had been keeping her contact with Aretha to a minimum. She was careful not to stay on the line long enough to be traced. She couldn't even use Asher's laptop because one of the goons had put a bullet in it back in Amsterdam. Alex was starting to run out of hope. If it weren't for the son whom she needed to get back to, she would've just sat there in the middle of the street and wait for those mercenaries to come and get her.

 

Alex's next stop was  **London**. It was past ten o' clock there. She was very tired and was really looking forward to getting some rest at the hotel. She wasn't even out of the airport yet when she noticed three men in black clothing following her.

 

 _Oh, great! Here we go again!_  she thought.

 

She was hoping she didn't have to do any running until the morning after. But, as usual, the bad guys were one step ahead of her. So, she did her best to dodge the men in black. It was easy enough to do in a crowded place like inside the airport, but once they were outside, it became a whole different story. The men wielded and started using their firearms. As Alex ran, they kept shooting at her. Either those men were really bad shots or Alex still had a little bit of luck on her side because the bullets kept missing her, barely.

 

Alex kept running. The bad guys kept following. The shots kept coming. This cycle went on for a while. Alex prayed for someone to notice what was going on, for someone to help her get away. And it seems like someone finally listened to her prayers.

 

* * *

 

 _ **PRESENT**_...

 

The mysterious stranger was still holding her hand as they ran away from the men, who were now pursuing the both of them. More shots followed, barely missing them. Without letting go of her hand, the stranger reached for his gun and shot back. And they kept running again.

 

 _"Where are we going?"_  she asked the man.

 

 _"Just keep running, straight ahead! I have a plan!"_  the man replied, with a  **Scottish**  accent.

 

Alex saw what lied not too far ahead, they were about to run into one huge wall.  _"Straight ahead, right! I really would love to hear your plan now, since we're about to slam into the wall of one the towers of_ _ **Westminster Palace**_ _!"_  Alex announced.

 

 _"I know! That's where we're headed!"_  the man answered.

 

 _"You're crazy!"_  she yelled at the man.

 

 _"We're not going to run INTO the wall! We're going to CLIMB it!"_  said the man, who finally let go of her hand. So they ran, building momentum.  _"On three! One. Two. Three!"_  said the man. They both jumped and started climbing the walls behind the House of Parliament, much like a pair of human spiders. They didn't stop until they've reached the top.

 

* * *

 

Once they were the roof deck, Alex finally took a breath. Her heart was beating madly as she glared at the stranger who had just helped her. The stranger noticed her staring at him.

 

 _"Hello!"_  the man greeted, as if nothing had happened.

 

 _"Do I know you?"_  Alex asked him, as she now had better view of the man.

 

 _"You'd want to KNOW me!"_  the Scottish man replied, grinning. His toothy grin revealed his pearly white teeth and gorgeous dimples, his smile reaching his beautiful blue eyes.

 

 _Well, hell, Alex! You're favourite flavor!_  she thought.  _"I don't have time for this! Thank you for saving my life, but I really must go now!"_  Alex said out loud.

 

 _"Yes, right! You're going to climb back down there? Is that your plan?"_  the man asked mockingly.  _"That's going to be a little tough. Look down."_  the man continued. As they both looked down, they saw the goons who chased them earlier being seized by the guards.  _"Whoops! You can't exactly shoot at the direction of the Palace of Westminster and expect the palace guards to look the OTHER way, can you?"_  the man said. Then, the sirens came.  _"That would be the good people of_ _ **Scotland Yard**_ _, London's finest! In a few moments, this place will be surrounded!"_  the man continued. He turned to look at Alex.  _"So you see there, Miss! It looks like you're stuck in here with me!"_  he said.

 

 _There's that smile again!_  Alex thought.

 

The man finally introduced himself.  _"My name is_ _ **James Hartnell**_ _. I usually go by Jack."_ The man extended his hand, gesturing for a handshake. Alex shook his hand, but didn't introduce herself.

 

 _"Jack? Not Jim?"_  she asked him.

 

 _"That's what my mum called me. And I never dared to question that woman's judgement!"_  he quipped. He walked closer to Alex.  _"Begging your pardon, but I never caught your name!"_  Jack inquired.

 

 _"I never threw it at you! Do yourself a favor, Jack. When this is all over, forget you ever saw me!"_  Alex said, as she walked away to check if the authorities were still in the vicinity.

 

 _"They're going to be there for quite a while. They have to take witness statements."_  Jack told her.

 

 _"We were the only witnesses!"_  Alex replied.

 

 _"Still, they have to look around. I believe they call that 'investigating'! If only to make sure this wasn't a terrorist threat!"_  Jack said.

 

 _"You seem to know a lot for a civilian!"_  Alex said, getting suspicious.

 

 _"Who said I was a civilian? Tell me your name."_ Jack asked.

 

Alex ignored him.  _"Where did you learn how to climb walls like that, Jack? '_ _ **Buildering**_ _' is not exactly a sport for regular people."_  Alex questioned him.

 

 _"From_ _ **Her Majesty's Royal Marine Corp**_ _. I could ask you the same thing! Now, tell me your name!"_  Jack persisted.

 

 _"Well, let's just say that in my line of work, I'm used to clinging to buildings with my fingertips!"_  she answered vaguely, still not revealing her name.

 

 _"Ah! A thief! How exciting! Tell me your name."_  Jack asked again.

 

Alex ignored him again. She was still looking down the streets, studying how to get past the authorities.

 

 _"They're still there and they're not going anywhere anytime soon! What are you going to do? Sneak inside the House of Parliament and have some tea?"_  he challenged her.

 

Alex looked at him and raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

 

 _"Tell you what, I'll stop pestering you, but only if you dance with me!"_  Jack negotiated.

 

 _"I don't know how to tell you this, Jack, but there's no music! Unless, of course, you're hearing things inside that head of yours!"_  Alex said mockingly.

 

 _"I'll sing to you! That will be our music!"_  Jack said.

 

 _"Oh, you'll sing to me now, will you? This I've got to hear!"_  Alex obliged to his request for a dance.

 

Jack put his arms around Alex's waist. Alex put her arms around his neck. With the light coming from  **Big Ben** , she stared into Jack's eyes, quite hypnotized by their intense blue color. Even more mesmerizing was Jack's voice, as he started singing a song very dear to Alex's heart. Jack sang his own rendition of the song,  **Feeling Good** , one of Alex's favourite. As their bodies swayed, Jack's husky voice permeated the air.

 

 _"Birds flying high  
You know how I feel  
Sun in the sky  
You know how I feel  
Reeds driftin' on by  
You know how I feel  
It's a new dawn  
It's a new day  
It's a new life  
For me  
And I'm feeling good._

 

 _Fish in the sea_   
_You know how I feel_   
_River running free_   
_You know how I feel_   
_Blossom on the tree_   
_You know how I feel_   
_It's a new dawn_   
_It's a new day_   
_It's a new life_   
_For me_   
_And I'm feeling good._

 

 _Dragonfly out in the sun,_   
_you know what I mean, don't you know_   
_Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean_   
_Sleep in peace when day is done_

 

 _That's what I mean  
And this old world is a new world  
And a bold world  
For me  
And I'm feeling good._

 

 _Stars when you shine  
You know how I feel  
Scent of the pine  
You know how I feel  
Oh freedom is mine  
And I know how I feel  
It's a new dawn  
It's a new day  
It's a new life  
For me  
And I'm feeling good."_

 

After he was finished with his song, Jack flashed Alex one of his 50 kilowatt smiles once again.

 

 _"I take it that you liked my song!"_  the Scottish man teased.

 

Alex could feel her face blush, but remained silent. Her heart was pounding inside her chest. A familiar feeling for her. All TOO familiar. Jack's hand caressed her face, his thumb and index finger slightly pinching her chin. They stared into each others eyes in silence.

 

Jack spoke first.  _"Now, will you PLEASE tell me your name?"_  he asked once more.

 

 _"Alexandra Hunter. You may call me Alex."_  she finally answered.

 

 _"See, that wasn't too hard, was it?"_  Jack said, grinning.  _"This is good. This is really, very good! Because as it turns out, you are EXACTLY the woman I've been searching for!"_  Jack continued.

 

Alex furrowed her eyebrows and started to panic and pulled away from him.

 

 _"No, wait, Alex! I'm not here to hurt you, I swear!"_  Jack said, trying to stop Alex from bolting. What Jack said next made Alex stop in her tracks.  _"Alex, a friend from back home sent me here to help you!"_  Jack said.

 

* * *

~ _ **END OF CHAPTER ONE**_ ~

* * *

 **  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 Footnotes :
> 
> *I needed inspiration to write a character that could actually compete with Matt Bomer's portrayal of Neal Caffrey. I found it in John Barrowman. If anyone was to portray James Hartnell, it'd be him! Seriously, look him up and tell me I'm wrong! That dance scene in front of Big Ben was inspired by John Barrowman and Billie Piper's dance in "The Empty Child".
> 
> *Places Alex went to before arriving in London, England : Prague, Czech Republic; Lugano, Switzerland; Berlin, Germany; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Brussels, Belgium; Lisbon, Portugal; Palermo, Sicily; and Barcelona, Spain.
> 
> *Buildering is an extreme sport that involves climbing buildings, walls, and other artificial structures, usually without the aid of a rope or other climbing gear.
> 
> *"Feeling Good" is one Alex's fave songs. [Budapest]
> 
> *Seriously, who else would send Jack to help Alex? Three guesses, and the first two don't count! =D
> 
> ***Thanks so much for taking time to read this chapter! I'll write the next one as soon as possible!***


	2. CHAPTER TWO

**  
**

* * *

Alex was angry, both at herself and at Jack. She had done plenty of grifts in her time and thought that she would recognize it when someone's playing her.  _This guy's good!_  she thought. Now he's claiming that he was sent there by a friend to help her.

 _"I don't believe you!"_  Alex snarled at him.

She turned around and walked away from him. Jack grabbed her right hand to stop her. Alex twisted her upper torso and raised her left elbow and it connected with Jack's chin. She then turned around and used her right foot to sweep Jack's legs from under him. He was laying on the ground in a few seconds. Alex was poised to strike again.

 _"_ _Whoa, there, tiger!"_  he said, waving both hands in surrender to Alex.  _"I won't fight you! I'm not in the habit of hitting women, alright! What I'm saying is true!"_  he tried to explain to her, as he picked himself up from the ground. Jack, still a little dazed, tried to shake the cobwebs away by shaking his head.

He faced Alex once again, only keeping his distance this time.  _"Like I said, an old friend from back home sent me!"_  he stated once more. He cleared his hands to Alex.  _"Look, I'm just going to reach into my breast pocket to show you some proof, alright? Try not to get all_ _ **Gina Carano**_ _on me!"_  Jack said as he slowly reached into his coat pocket.

He took out a small envelope and gave it to Alex. Alex took the envelope and opened it. It had a note inside, with a familiar handwriting that she was relieved to see.

 **  
_Alex,_   
**

**  
_It's alright. You can trust him!_   
**

**  
_Aretha_   
**

Alex looked inside the envelope and saw some sort of memory card.

 _"That's a_ _universal micro SD card. It should work on your burner phone."_  Jack said.

Alex put the card on the slot on her mobile, which loaded a video. Much to her delighted surprise, Nicholas face was the first thing she saw.

 _"Hello, Mama! I miss you! Do you miss me?"_  he said.  _"When are you coming home? I miss your lullaby. Auntie Edina sings me to sleep, but I like it better when you do it!"_  he continued. Alex's eyes started to well up with tears.  _"Uncle Jakob said I'm doing quite well on my riding lessons! You should see me, Mama! I'm getting really good! Oh, and Uncle Asher is teaching me how to speak French. When you come back, you can practice with me! When will you be back, Mama? Did I tell you that I miss you?"_ he asked, with his pouty face.

Alex had almost forgotten how chatty her little boy can be. She loved hearing his voice again. She watched the video intently as Nicholas continued to talk.

 _"Uncle Zeke told me he would teach me karate, but only if it's fine by you. Is that okay, Mama? May I? Please?"_  Nicholas pleaded with his eyes.  _"I almost forgot! Auntie Aretha bought me a book of Panda bears. She's helping me read it. I really love panda bears! I looked it up, and the Budapest Zoo have two of them. A boy panda and a girl panda! When you come home, can we go see them? Please, Mama!"_  Nicholas begged. Then his face turned serious.  _"I really miss you, Mama! I love you! Do you still love me? Please come home soon!"_  Nicholas told her, then the video ended after that.

Alex couldn't help but let out a sob when she heard the last part of her son's recorded message. She wiped the tears that stained her face and turned around to face Jack.

Jack handed Alex a handkerchief, which she gratefully accepted.

 _"Look at the date stamp on the video."_  Jack told her.

Alex looked.  _"It was taken yesterday_ _morning."_  Alex answered.

Jack nodded.  _"I was in Budapest yesterday, to meet with Aretha. I needed her expertise on something. Well, let's just say that she had a plan that was mutually beneficial to all of us!"_  Jack said mysteriously. Jack handed her his cellphone.  _"Here, it would be better if you speak to her yourself."_  he said. Alex hesitated.  _"Don't worry! It's a secured line. It's untraceable. Go on."_  he urged.

Alex took the phone and dialed Aretha's number. She was relieved to hear her friend's voice on the other line.

 _"Hello, Alex?"_  Aretha said

 _"Yes, it's me!"_  Alex replied. Alex could hear Aretha's sigh of relief over the phone.

 _"Are you alright?"_  Aretha asked.

 _"I am now!"_  Alex answered.  _"I got the video that you sent. Thank you, for that, and for taking such good care of my son in my absence!"_  she continued.

 _"You're more than welcome. We try our best, but he misses you a lot! We all want you back here safe and sound, Alex."_ Aretha said.

 _"Yeah, I'm working on that."_  Alex replied. She sighed and continued.  _"Listen, I just met your friend here a bit earlier. Care to explain that one?"_  she asked Aretha.

 _"Like I said, we all want you back here safe and sound."_  Aretha said. There was a pause on the other end of the line.  _"Don't worry, Hartnell's one of the good guys. We've worked together before."_ she assured Alex.  _"Alex, I want you to understand that I did this because I wanted to help you, alright?"_  Aretha tried to explain.

 _"What EXACTLY did you do, Aretha?"_  Alex asked calmly.

 _"I made a deal with Jack. He lost something that he needs to get back desperately. I told him that you'd help him get it back, but he needs to do something for you in return."_  Aretha explained. She paused and took a deep breath , before she continued.  _"It's simple, really. Quid pro quo, as always. You help him get his merchandize back, and in return, he'll help keep you safe. You know, figure out the root of who's trying to have you killed and why."_  Aretha told her.

There was silence on both ends of the line.

Aretha spoke again.  _"Alex, I swear, I only wanted_ _what was in your best interest. I needed to ensure your safety, that's why I made this deal!"_  she said.

 _"I know, Aretha. And I'm not angry. Believe me, I really hope that when this is all over, I would finally get to come home. Thank you, Aretha! I'll keep in touch!"_ Alex answered.

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

* * *

Alex turned to face Jack once more.  _"Well, I've been assured that you're one of the good guys. Not sure how I feel about that, but I guess I have no other choice at the moment except to trust you."_ she told him, as she handed him his phone back.

 _"Well, I'm glad we had all of that straightened out. Listen, we need to get out of here now. Those men down there are taking forever to finish up! Let's go!"_  Jack said as he turned around and walked away.

 _"Wait, how do you propose we get out of here without those people noticing?"_  Alex asked.

 _"Leave that to me. Come on."_ Jack told her.

She followed him down the stairwell leading inside the  **House of Parliament**. She looked at Jack quizzically, not knowing what to do if anyone stopped them. Jack just continued to walk as if he owned the place, so she followed suit. Four guards stopped in front of them, blocking their way. Jack merely flashed them his credentials and they let them pass.

 _"You could have just done that EARLIER!"_ Alex told him once they were out of earshot, as she hit him in the arm.

 _"Ow! Why do you like to hit me so much? And that wasn't my fault! You were the one who took forever to tell me your name!"_ Jack reasoned.

Alex chose to just remain quiet. In a few minutes, they were out of the Parliament and outside of Westminster Palace. Following Jack's lead, they got inside a black  **Peugeot**. Jack gave the driver some instructions on where to take them and then drove away. An hour later, they arrived at their destination. Jack had taken Alex in a safehouse outside of London's city limits. It was already past midnight. He showed her where she would be sleeping and told her to get settled in.

 _"We'll talk in the morning. Good night, Alex!"_  he said.

 _"Good night, Jack! And thank you!"_  Alex said, as she went inside her room, looking forward to the first decent night sleep she's had in a while.

* * *

The next day, as promised, Jack and Alex discussed the terms to their agreement after breakfast.

 _"First things first, who are you?"_ Alex asked Jack.

 _"I told you, my name is Jack Hartnell-"_  he tried to answer before Alex interrupted him.

 _"Yes, yes, I know that part! I want to know who you work for!"_ Alex inquired.

 _"That's classified."_ was Jack's only answer

 _"Well, let's see if I can get it DECLASSIFIED!"_  Alex retorted.  _"You've had Royal Marine Corp training, but judging by the haircut, you're not in the service anymore."_  Alex stated.

Jack just gave her a questioning look.

 _"Besides, not just anybody from the Marines would have a security clearance as high as yours. Isn't that right? Those credentials you showed to the guards last night, that was a_ _ **JIC**_ _high-level security badge, am I right?"_  Alex asked him.

Still no answer from Jack.

 _"Ah! You're silence speaks volumes, Jack. Come on, tell me. No? Alright, let's continue then. Marine corp training, high level security clearance, tasked to retrieve something of great value. Tell me, Jack, do you by any chance happen to work for the_ _ **Directorate of Military Intelligence**_ _? What? Cat got your tongue?"_  Alex said mockingly.

Jack still kept mum.

 _"Not making this easy, are you? Oh well! You're not from the_ _ **Security Service**_ _, nor the_ _ **Secret Intelligence Service**_ _. Don't ask me how I know! Come on, now Mystery Man! Which_ _ **MI**_ _section do you work for? Tell me already, otherwise we'll be here forever!"_  Alex persisted.

Jack hesitated at first.  _"You think you're so clever, don't you?"_ he finally answered.  _"Alright, if only to speed up this process, I'll tell you. I work for_ _ **MI-10**_ _. We deal with technical intelligence and security,_ _both in the homeland as well as foreign."_  Jack explained.

Alex looked at him.  _"So, whatever is this case you're working on, it must be pretty huge right?"_ Alex asked.

Jack nodded.  _"What I'm about to tell you is a secret, and WILL remain a secret! You understand me?"_  Jack asked. Alex nodded her head.

Jack took out a folder. Alex opened it and found a photo of a huge diamond she knew all too well.

 _"I take it you know what that is?"_  Jack assumed.

 _"It's the_ _ **Koh-I-Noor**_ _diamond. Everyone in the industry knows what it is."_  she answered.  _"The Koh-I-Noor, also known as 'The Mountain of Light', was once the largest known diamond in the world. Presented to Queen Victoria, who was the Empress of India at the time. Used to be 189 carats until the 25-year quest in search for it's brilliance chipped it down to 105.6 carats. Last time I checked, it was mounted on the front cross of the crown of the Queen Mother."_  Alex explained in detail.

 _"Well, it's been stolen from the_ _ **British Crown Jewels**_ _."_  Jack informed her.

 _"What, I didn't steal it!"_  Alex said defensively.

 _"Yes, I know. You were in Spain at that time."_ Jack said.

 _"I didn't see anything about it on the news."_ Alex stated.

 _"We're trying to keep it hush hush. Per orders from the Queen herself. Needless to say, Her Majesty wants this whole matter resolved before it leaks out to the worldwide press"_  Jack explained.

Jack then directed Alex's attention to the monitor. He played a tape of the security footage taken from the night of the burglary. It showed a masked figure dressed in black, being lowered down by cables attached to a winch from the ceiling.

 _"This was why the thief wasn't detected by the laser sensors."_  Jack told her.

Then, the video showed the thief expertly detached the diamond from the crown's cross in no time. Then, the cables retracted back up the ceiling, as the thief escaped through the hole made on the center on the dome.

 _"Well, it seems that the_ _ **Tower of London**_ _needs better security, don't they?"_  Alex quipped.

Jack ignored her remark.  _"We already have men dispatched to cover all the city exits, on ground, water and air. This guy is still in town, we'll get him soon!"_  he said

 _"Girl."_  Alex corrected him.

Jack gave her another questioning look.

 _"The thief you're looking for is a woman. Her agility and flexibility tells us so. As well as her legs. I mean, no man I know have legs as shapely as that!"_ Alex explained.  _"You're people were looking for a man, when they should have been looking for a woman._ " she continued.  _"And if you were really confident in catching this thief yourself, you wouldn't be asking for my help, now, would you?"_ she asked confidently as she sat back down to her chair.

* * *

Jack called his superiors to notify them of the developments on the case. He also called the lead inspector of the case and ordered him to look through all recent footage from the museum, see if a woman had been seen suspiciously sniffing around the crown jewels. Alex looked at him after he was done making calls.

 _"So, why did you choose me to help you with this case? Don't lie. You KNEW that Aretha was going to let ME handle this case."_  Alex inquired.

 _"Well, word through the underworld's grapevine was that you have a history with priceless diamonds, particularly with the Koh-I-Noor's family."_ Jack implied.

 _"I have no idea what you're talking about."_  Alex said, playing it cool.

The truth was she did have a history with the Koh-I-Noor's cousin, the  **Darya-I-Noor**. ' _The Ocean of Light_ ', as it was otherwise known. She ' _retrieved_ ' it from the thieves who stole it from the **Iranian Crown Jewels**  in  **Tehran**  years ago. She didn't keep it though. She gave it back to it's rightful owners, to fulfill a dying man's wish.

 _"Nope. No idea at all!"_ she said with a knowing smile.

 _"Whatever! I'm not here to bust you. I only need_ _your expertise, just in case the diamond had been moved outside of the country without our knowledge."_  Jack explained.

 _"That's hard to do. It's getting tougher to move diamonds these days. Depending on the color, clarity and dimensions, anything above two carats are being tagged with laser inscriptions. Makes it difficult to fence. Now, with a diamond as huge and as highly profiled as the Koh-I-Noor, you won't be able to move it without making a sound."_  Alex stated.

 _"So, you're saying it's impossible to fence then?"_ Jack asked.

 _"Nothing's impossible, Jack! There are still places that are brazen enough to touch ice as hot as the Koh-I-Noor, like_ _ **Tel Aviv**_ _,_ _ **Dubai**_ _, and_ _ **Antwerp**_ _. They have the technology."_  Alex informed him.

 _"We'll check those places then."_  Jack replied.

 _"You're missing something though. What if whoever stole this didn't do it for the money?"_  she said.

 _"What do you mean?_ Jack asked

 _"I mean a private collector. There are rich people who hire thieves to steal something, only to add it on their collection."_  Alex deduced.  _"We need to act fast, Jack! Before any trails of this disappears."_ Alex warned him.

* * *

For days, Alex and Jack worked on trying to find the thief, as well as the diamond. Jack reexamined the crime scene with the inspectors, while Alex worked all of her international contacts for information. They kept hitting one dead end after the other. Finally a few days later, they caught a break.

 _"We have a hit! The inspectors got this late last night."_  Jack announced.

He showed Alex a photo still from a security camera of a raven haired woman in her mid-twenties.  _"She'd been spotted lurking around the crown jewels on multiple occasions over the past couple of weeks prior to the night the diamond was stolen!"_  Jack told her.

 _"Casing her mark!"_  Alex said.  _"Any idea who she is yet?"_  she asked him.

 _"Yes. Her name is Georgina De Souza._ _ **LADY Georgina De Souza**_ _! Only daughter of the_ _ **Earl of Winchester**_ _in Hampshire. Distant cousin of the_ _ **Princesses of York**_ _."_  Jack informed her.

 _"Ah, related to Fergie, why am I not surprised? Has she been questioned?"_  Alex asked. Jack nodded.

 _"Her Majesty, the Queen, herself have ordered her to cooperate. She said she only did it at the urging of her boyfriend. She gave it to him as a gift when they were vacationing in **Malta** a week ago. The next day, the boyfriend was gone. Surprise, surprise!"_ Jack said.

Alex shook her head.  _"Oh, to be young and stupid! Anything on the boyfriend?"_ she asked.

 _"Oh yeah! Once Lady Georgina found out about her lover's betrayal, she rolled over on him at the drop of a hat!_ " Jack told her.

 _"Hell hath no fury like a spoiled heiress scorned!"_  Alex joked.

 _"Here's the kicker, the boyfriend's name is Rupert Maidstone! Ring a bell?"_  Jack asked excitedly.

 _"_ _ **Rupert Maidstone**_ _, the young billionaire playboy. A known art collector. Vice president of_ _ **Maidstone Shipping Industries**_ _. Heir to_ _ **Warren Maidstone**_ _, number 89_ _th_ _in the Forbes list of richest men in the world. He lives in **Manhattan**. This makes sense! He's a shipping magnate, therefore he has access to means of moving the diamond without alerting authorities!"_  Alex stated.

 _"And it seems that you were right. Lady De Souza said that Rupert wanted to add the diamond to his private collection."_  Jack informed her.  _"Pack your bags, Alex! Looks like we're headed to New York!"_ Jack said grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

~ ** _END OF CHAPTER TWO_** ~

* * *

 ****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 Footnotes :
> 
> *Gina Carano is a famous Italian-American mixed martial arts fighter.
> 
> *JIC – Joint Intelligence Committee (United Kingdom)
> 
> *DMI – Directorate of Military Intelligence has various sections : active ones are the Security Service (MI-5) for the Home Office, Secret Intelligence Service (MI-6) for thr Foreign Office. MI-10 is now defunct and was merged with GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters), but I used it to give Jack an air of "International Man of Mystery" to his character.
> 
> *Both the stories of the Koh-I-Noor and the Darye-I-Noor have fascinated me me, so I thought I'd include them to my story. In my head, I thought that since Alex is a female thief, it was possible that she had dabbled on a few diamond heists in her time.
> 
> *Expensive diamonds have their certificate numbers laser-etched on them.
> 
> *The Tower of London is the official keeper on the British Crown Jewels.
> 
> *I thought that I'd give JackAl (Jack and Alex) some chemistry, Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey style.
> 
> ***Thank you so much for taking time to read this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Can't wait to write the next one!***


	3. CHAPTER THREE

**_  
_ **

* * *

The next day, Jack and Alex were on a private jet en route to New York City. Jack was looking at Alex, who was looking out the window of the plane, staring into blank space.

 _"Penny for your thoughts!"_  Jack nudged her.

 _"Huh?"_  Alex asked.

 _"You're really quiet there. Is everything alright?"_  the Scottish agent asked.  _"_

 _Um, yeah. Just tired, that's all."_ Alex answered.

 _"For someone who's a native New Yorker, you don't seem to be too keen on going back home."_ Jack questioned.

Alex tried to change the subject.  _"You know, I've always told Aretha that we should get a jet of our own! How much did this bad boy cost the MI-10?"_ Alex covered.

 _"Oi! Do you know that you could get whiplash by changing the subject that fast? Come on, tell me. Why aren't you excited about coming back home?"_  Jack asked again.

 _"I'm from New York, yes, but that doesn't make it HOME! 'Home' is where my son is!"_  she said emphatically. She looked away but continued talking.  _"Did you know that before any of this mess started, the longest time I've ever been away from my son was three weeks? And three weeks was torture enough for me! It's been over three months now since I've held my son in my arms, since I've pinched his cheeks, since I've kissed him goodnight! And I know that it's all my fault for getting involved with the wrong people! I just want this to be over with! I want to come home! My real home!"_  Alex said, on the verge of tears.  _"Now, I'm about to go back to the city where it all started! Isn't that just wizard!"_  Alex blurted out.

 _"Don't worry! I'll make sure you're protected and that you get safely back home soon to your son!"_ Jack promised.

But Alex could see something else in Jack's eyes. Jack was keeping something from her.

 _"Jack, what is it that you're not telling me?"_  she asked.

 _"Forget it, Alex. I'll tell you later!"_  Jack replied.

 _"You'll tell me now! What is it?"_ Alex insisted.

 _"Those men who were chasing you back in London, the people arrested by Scotland Yard."_ Jack began.

 _"The mercenaries, yes! What about them?"_  Alex asked.

 _"They were all found dead in their cells a few days ago, before they could issue a statement. Gun shot wounds to the back of their heads, execution style. No clues as to who killed them. The security tapes were erased."_  Jack continued.

Alex sat there in shock.

 _"I'm sorry, Alex but we have no leads as to who put the contract out on your life! Whoever is after you, it seems that he is quite powerful, with connections to the right places."_  Jack apologized.

 _"So, we're back to square one!"_  Alex sighed.

 _"Don't worry! I won't stop looking until we find this bastard! And I will protect you! You have my word!"_  Jack promised.

 _"Thanks, Jack."_  Alex replied sadly, before she continued to stared out the window. The rest of the flight continued in silence.

* * *

When they got to New York, Alex excused herself to Jack. She said that she needed to get a few things she would require for their assignment.

 _"I won't run, you have my word! I'll meet you back at the hotel!"_  Alex promised.

Alex went to the warehouse facility she rented to get a few things from her storage unit. She heard someone come up from behind her.

 _"_ _ **Miss D**_ _! Isn't this a lovely surprise!_ _ **Mr. C**_ _was just here a couple of weeks ago too, you know? How have you been?"_  said the man.

 _"I'm fine, thanks_ _ **Eddie**_ _! How's the family?"_  Alex asked.

 _"Oh, they're great! Listen, I can tell that you're in a hurry. Give_ _ **Mr. F**_ _my regards, alright?"_  Eddie said.

 _"Okay, will do Eddie! Thanks!"_  Alex replied.

She went back to getting the stuff she needed and putting them in a big black velvet bag. She locked her storage unit and proceeded to meet with Jack at their hotel.

* * *

Jack had checked them in a hotel suite at the  **Empire Hotel**. Alex looked around their suite, slightly impressed.

 _"Posh! Not as good as Vadzel, but it'll do!"_ Alex criticized.

 _"To be fair, Vadzel is a castle. This is a luxury hotel!"_  Jack told her.  _"So, where were you?"_  he asked.

 _"Oh, I just needed to pick up a few necessities. You know, girl stuff!"_ Alex covered.

 _"Right."_  Jack said, not quite buying her story, but he let it go. They proceeded to discuss the details of their assignment.  _"Anyways, I've made our legends. I am_ _ **Mason Hart**_ _, a_ _millionaire businessman from London. You are my lovely fiancee,_ _ **Olivia Wolfram**_ _. I am here in New York for a few days for my business. You're here for a bit of fun!"_  Jack informed her.

 _"Wait, you named us_ _ **Wolfram and Hart**_ _? Geek!"_  Alex teased.

 _"Well then, next time I will leave you in charge of making the legends!"_  Jack replied.

 _"Jack, assuming that there WILL be a next time is a bit presumptuous!"_  Alex said.

 _"May I continue now, please?"_  Jack said irritatedly.  _"Alright. As I was saying. We're an engaged couple, so I may have to suffer through kissing you a lot in public!"_  Jack teased, which earned him a kick in the shin from Alex.  _"About Maidstone, he lives in the penthouse suite of this hotel. A few days ago, he was reported to have stored something in his safety deposit box. See, the hotel provides each of their rich residents a safety deposit box that is kept in a closet vault here inside the hotel. I bet that he stashed the diamond inside his box. Which doesn't make sense. Why not just keep it inside your safe, in your own room?"_  Jack wondered.

They sat they as they tried to figure out the reason.

 _"Plausible deniability. If he gets caught, he can just tell the authorities that someone else put the diamond in_ _his safety deposit box without his knowledge, to frame him."_ Alex deduced.

 _"Hmmm, makes sense! So, we need a plan. We need to get close to Maidstone, see if he'd slip up and lead us to the Koh-I-Noor. Or we need to get to his safety deposit box, see if he really hid the diamond there. The sooner we get the diamond back, the sooner we can return to London and figure out a solution to YOUR problem!"_  Jack declared.

 _"Wait! You're not going to arrest him?"_ Alex asked.

"W _e already caught the thief. Our assignment is to retrieve the missing diamond and put it back on the crown. Maidstone didn't steal the diamond, he stole it from the original thief."_  Jack explained.

 _"So, he seduced a woman of nobility, under false pretenses, makes her steal the diamond, takes the diamond for himself and left the woman to take the fall, and he's just going to get away with it?"_ Alex asked disbelievingly.

 _"Oh, don't act all innocent, Alex! Isn't that what you do when you CON someone?"_  Jack blurted out before he could stop himself. He looked at Alex, who was staring at him stoically, but he could see the pain in her eyes.  _"I'm so sorry, Alex! I didn't-"_  Jack tried to apologize.

Alex held out her hand to stop him.  _"It's been a long day, Jack! I'm going to bed! And since there's only one bed in this suite, you're sleeping at the sofa!"_ Alex said as she walked away.

Alex waited until she was sure that Jack was asleep. Then she sneaked out of their suite in the middle of the night, carrying her black velvet bag from earlier.

 _I'm sorry, Jack!_  she thought.

* * *

The next day, Jack woke up, his back hurting from sleeping in the uncomfortable sofa. He smelled coffee. It was almost eleven o'clock in the morning. He saw that Alex was sitting at the terrace, already dressed.

 _"Good morning."_  Alex greeted him.

 _"Good morning. You made coffee?"_  Jack asked her.

 _"Yes, it's Italian roast. Would you like some?"_ she asked. Jack nodded.  _"It's over there. Go get it_ _yourself!"_  she ordered.

Jack obeyed. When Jack came back with his coffee, she handed him an envelope. Jack opened it. It was an invitation to a party being thrown by Maidstone that night.

 _"How did you get this?"_  he asked.

 _"Well, while you were sleeping, I was busy with my CON ARTIST ways. I met Maidstone over breakfast. He flirted with me, I may have flirted back a little. You know us GRIFTERS love to do that! He invited me to his party tonight being held here at the Empire's Grand Ballroom. You can be my plus one, if you want!"_  Alex explained, leaving out the details of the things she did last night after she sneaked out of their suite.

Jack sat down next to her.  _"Look, Alex, I'm truly sorry for what I said last night! I really want to make it up to you. What can I do?"_  Jack asked, trying to get Alex to forgive him.

 _"Well, you can start by buying me an outfit for tonight!"_  Alex repied.

Jack handed took out his wallet and handed her a credit card. Alex smiled.  _"That's a step on the right direction. Anyway, like I said, I've been busy. I talked to the hotel manager about us renting a safety deposit box. I told him we need to store some of our valuables in a safe place during our stay here at their fabulous hotel. He told me that we both need to sign up for a joint account, we can do it whenever it's convenient for us. Once that's done, he leads us to the closet vault where the hotel keeps the boxes."_  Alex informed him.

 _"Wow, you have been busy! So, we pretend to rent a safety deposit box, we look for Maidstone's box, check to see if it he hid the diamond inside, and steal it back! I like this plan!"_  Jack said excitedly.

 _"Glad you liked it! By the way, you'll need a tux for the party. Don't forget! I'll meet you outside the ballroom tonight. I'm off to do a little shopping!"_  Alex said, as she waved Jack's credit card to his face, then left the suite.

* * *

As they agreed upon earlier, Alex met Jack outside the Grand Ballroom. She was wearing a satin, animal print  **Givenchy**  backless evening dress, with a plunging v-neckline and halter straps that tied up behind the neck. The long, flowing skirt had a side slit that went all the way up her thighs. The dress hugged EVERY curve of her body. She was wearing a pair of black peep toe **Christian Louboutin**  platform stilettos that made her look very tall. She wore her long hair down, sporting a new style. She now had curly, golden brown locks, with blonde highlights that intensified her beautiful face.

Jack saw her and she just took his breath away.  _"Alex, you're a vision of loveliness!"_  Jack said breathlessly.

 _"All paid for by your credit card, darling!"_  she teased.

 _"Worth every penny!"_  Jack replied as he offered her his arm. She obliged and took his arm and they went inside the ballroom together.

* * *

Once they were inside, they started to mingle. Alex introduced Jack to  **Rupert Maidstone**. Jack noticed that Maidstone couldnt' take his eyes off of Alex's neck. It seems that when Alex flipped her hair, she revealed the necklace she was wearing. It was a long, gold chain that reached her  **décolletage area,**  with a huge, beautiful flawless diamond as a pendant.

 _"What a beautiful necklace!"_  Maidstone praised.

 _"Why, thank you! My fiance gave it to me as a birthday present!"_ she answered, as she leaned towards Jack.

 _"You have great taste,_ _ **Mason**_ _! Although you really shouldn't leave that lying around in your suite. You should keep it at the hotel's closet vault. That's where I keep all my valuables."_ Rupert advised the ' _couple_ '.

 _"We already talked to the manager about getting one!"_  Jack/Mason replied.

 _"Well, do it as soon as possible! You might regret it if you lose that precious necklace. Just saying! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see to my other guests. Please enjoy yourselves! And Olivia, in case I failed to mention it before, YOU are absolutely breath-taking!"_  Rupert said to Alex/Olivia as he kissed her hand before walking away.

Once Rupert was far away, Jack whispered to Alex.  _"Tell me something, is that the_ _ **Alva Varden**_ _diamond necklace you're wearing around your neck?"_  Jack asked.

 _"Ask me no questions, and I will tell you no lies!"_  Alex whispered back to Jack's ear.

 _"Come on, we're leaving!"_  Alex ordered _._

 _"We haven't even danced yet!"_  Jack complained.

 _"We'll dance later, after we retrieved the Koh-I-Noor from the vault."_  Alex promised, as he pulled on Jack's hand and they left the ballroom.

* * *

The ' _couple_ ' went to see the hotel manager about opening an account for a safety deposit box. They said that they needed a safe place to keep Olivia's beautiful necklace. They signed their aliases and afterwards, were led inside the closet vault were the safety deposit boxes were kept. The manager opened their box's locker door with his key and then left the room. There were no cameras inside and they were left to their privacy.

 _"Alright, which one is Maidstone's?"_  Alex asked Jack.

 _"It's box number 143. You'll need the managers key to open the locker door."_  Jack told her.

 _"No need!"_ Alex said as she pulled on the slit of her dress, revealing a garter on her left thigh that had her **lock-picking tool kit** in it.

Jack saw what Alex was doing.  _"From the words of the great poet laureate, **Paris Hilton** , THAT'S HOT!" _he joked.

Alex skillfully unlocked the door in no time. She took out Maidstone's safety deposit box and looked for the keyhole.

 _"You can't pick those, it requires a special kind of key!"_ Jack observed.

 _"No worries!"_ Alex said.

She opened her mini purse and pulled out a small box. She opened it and took out a clay box that revealed an imprint of a key. MAIDSTONE's safety deposit key.

 _"Lifted his key earlier while he was too busy staring at my necklace. Made an imprint of it and put it back when he kissed my hand."_  Alex explained to Jack.  _"Now, for my next trick! Imprint of the master key, put some super glue and some heat activated polymer to set it. Shake it for seven seconds, and voila! Instant plastic key!"_ she said.

Alex took the key out from the clay box. She gave it to Jack, who looked very impressed at what she did. Jack opened Maidstone's safety deposit box. It revealed the a velvet pouch that contain the Koh-I-Noor inside. Alex squealed with delight as Jack held the diamond out to the light to get a better view. Alex took it from Jack and inspected the diamond carefully.

 _"Yes, this really is the 'Mountain of Light', alright! Mind you, she's a helluva lot prettier than her cousin!"_  she said, obviously talking about the Darya-I-Noor.

 _"Alright, that's enough! This goes back to the Tower of London!"_ Jack said as he took the diamond from Alex and put it inside the breast pocket of his tux. They put the box inside, and closed the locker doors. Alex took off her necklace and put it inside her purse, so as to not draw suspicion. Together, they left the hotels closet vault.

After they got out, Jack told Alex that he needs to call his superiors and notify them that they have retrieved the diamond. He told her to go back to the party. On their way back, they saw a commotion at the lobby. Rupert Maidstone was being escorted out of the hotel in handcuffs. He had just been arrested by the  **FBI**. Jack turned to where Alex was standing earlier, but saw that she had disappeared. He checked his coat pocket to see if the diamond was still there. It still was. Alex didn't take it.

Jack let out a sigh of relief. He looked around and tried to find her, but there were no traces of her anywhere. After a while, he gave up. He made a phone call to his superiors and informed them that he had the diamond and that he'll be readying the jet to fly back to London as soon as possible.

* * *

It had been three hours later since Maidstone was arrested, Alex was standing at the observation deck of the  **Empire State Building** , hiding from Jack. It was already late and the tourists were starting to leave. Pretty soon, she was the only one left there. She thought about what she had done. She was the one who put that incriminating item on Maidstone's safe, the one he kept in his suite. She did it that night she sneaked out of the room while Jack was asleep. She also tipped the FBI about searching Maidstone's suite. She framed Maidstone because she couldn't take it that the bad guy was getting away. She did it, even if meant losing Jack's trust.

Without warning someone came up from behind her and put a coat around her shoulders.

 _"You look cold."_  It was Jack. He found her.

 _"They arrested Maidstone. It seems that he had been keeping the stolen_ _ **Salvador Dali**_ _sculpture_ _ **'Lady with Drawers'**_ _in his personal safe inside his suite. Do you have anything to do with that, Alex?"_  Jack questioned her.

 _"Ask me no questions, and I will tell you no lies, Jack!"_  Alex replied.

 _"Alright, then! Maidstone's in jail. We have the diamond. We can go back to London together and give it back to my superiors!"_  Jack declared.

 _"I'm not going back to London with you, Jack. You can tell Aretha when you see her, this was MY choice!"_  Alex told him.

 _"Alex, I can't leave you here! Your life is still in danger! I promised you that I would protect you!"_  Jack said emphatically.

 _"I'll figure something out. I'm setting you free from your promise, Jack!"_ she explained.

 _"But why?"_  Jack asked emotionally.

 _"Because, you're starting to FALL for me, Jack Hartnell! And that's bad for business!"_  she replied. She looked Jack in the eye.  _"This needs to be goodbye for us, Jack! It's for the best!"_  she said. She turned around and tried to leave. Jack grabbed Alex's hand to stop her from leaving.

 _"I believe you promised me a dance earlier. I know, I know! There's no music! I'll sing to you!"_ Jack said, reminiscent of their dance on the roof deck of  **Westminster Palace**.

Once again, Alex obliged him to a dance. This time, Jack sang his rendition of the classic,  **The Way You Look Tonight**  by  **Fred Astaire**. Her eyes never left his. She listened to Jack's beautiful, husky voice, as their bodies swayed.

" _Some day, when I'm awfully low,  
When the world is cold,  
I will feel a glow just thinking of you...  
And the way you look tonight._

 _Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm  
And your cheeks so soft,  
There is nothing for me but to love you,  
And the way you look tonight._

 _With each word your tenderness grows,  
Tearing my fear apart...  
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,  
It touches my foolish heart._

 _Lovely ... Never, ever change.  
Keep that breathless charm.  
Won't you please arrange it ?  
'Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight._

 _Just the way you look tonight."_

Jack was still holding Alex in his arms even after they stopped dancing. Alex tried to pull away, but Jack wouldn't allow it.

 _"If this is really GOODBYE, Alex, then I need to do something. I've been wanting to do this since the first time we danced together back in London."_ Jack said.

Then, he pulled Alex into a long and passionate kiss. He tilted his head to gain more access into her mouth, and he parted Alex's lips with his tongue. It wasn't long until their tongues were dancing inside each others' mouths, breathing in each others' breaths. Jack slid his hand down the small of Alex's back, while his other hand rested on the back of her head, leaving Alex trapped in his embrace. Alex didn't pull away this time. She had both of her arms circled around Jack's neck, her hands ruffling his hair.

 _This was one helluva GOODBYE kiss!_  she thought.

It had been a long time ago since a man had kissed her like that. She didn't want it to end. So she just let all of the emotions of the moment sink in. And for the first time in a very long time, she allowed herself to feel.

* * *

~ _ **END OF CHAPTER THREE**_ ~

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 Footnotes :
> 
> *Yes, there is a Chapter Four!
> 
> *Scotland yard = London's Metropolitan Police Service
> 
> *You might remember Eddie from S2 episode Need to Know. Mr. C is Mozzie. Mr. F is Neal. So I thought what if Alex also has a storage unit there where she stashes the things she stole in the past. So, I made her Miss D.
> 
> *The Wolfram and Hart thing was my homage to WB tv series Angel.
> 
> *You might remember the Alva Varden diamond necklace as the reason why Agent Doogie was after Alex. [Strasbourg]
> 
> *The whole plastic key idea came from writer John Rogers.
> 
> *The Salvador Dali sculpture, "Lady with Drawers" was one of the art works Interpol accused Alex of stealing from the Belfort Museum in Brugge. [Strasbourg]
> 
> *I wanted the dance scene to be "New York romantic"...what's more romantic than a dance on the observation deck of the Empire State Building?
> 
> *All rights to the song "The Way You Look Tonight" belong to Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields.
> 
> *That last line 'And for the first time in a very long time, she allowed herself to feel.' is open to your interpretation. Did Jack and Alex sleep together?
> 
> ***Thanks so much for taking time to read this chapter. Looking forward to writing the next one. Neal makes an appearance there, I promise! =D ***


	4. CHAPTER FOUR

**_  
_ **

* * *

Alex woke up the next day feeling recharged and refreshed. She even woke up with a smile on her face. Last night's sleep was by far the most relaxed sleep she's had in ages. Before he left for London, Jack had been kind enough to reserve accommodation for her at the luxury hotel, the  **Gansevoort** , under the alias  **Abigail Maitland**.

 _Geek!_  she said to herself.

She chuckled as she wondered who would win in a geek-off between Asher and Jack. As she started to get ready for breakfast, her mobile phone rang. Her smile grew wider. She knew of only one person who had that number. The same man she said goodbye to the night before. She picked it up.

 _"Hello, Jack! Miss me already?"_  she greeted while, laughing.

 _"Yes, I've missed you, Alex! But this isn't Jack!"_  said the voice on the other end of the line. A voice she knew all too well.

Alex was slightly disappointed, but carried on with the conversation. _And I was having such a good morning!_  she thought. She had a funny feeling that was about to change.  _"Mozzie! How did you get this number? You know what, never mind! I don't wanna know!"_  she said.

 _"So, who's Jack?"_  Mozzie pried.

 _"Nobody you'd want to know, Moz! Why did you call me?"_ she asked him.

 _"Well, I heard you were back in town. I just wanted to know if you're okay."_  Mozzie told her.

 _"Wait, how did you know that I was back in town?"_ Alex asked.

 _"I was returning some 'items' back at the warehouse. Ran into Eddie, who told me that '_ _ **Miss D**_ _' came to pick up a few things from storage a few days ago. I know that you don't take things out of storage unless it's absolutely necessary. And if you HAVE to take things out of there, it means that something's wrong! And then, there's that thing on the news_ _this morning about the Dali sculpture being recovered from that billionaire guy, Rupert Maidstone. What's the story there?"_  Mozzie inquired.

 _"Hey, I just move items, Moz! What happens after that is out of my hands!"_  she lied, not exactly willing to tell anyone about her involvement with the Maidstone fiasco.

Mozzie let that subject go. But he was still worried for her.  _"Alex, I know that you're in trouble. I know about the contract out on your life. I assume you've heard about what happened to Kate?"_  he asked.

 _"Yes, I've heard."_  she took a deep breath before continuing.  _"Look, I'm fine, alright. I've managed to stay alive this long. I don't need your help!"_ she insisted.

 _"I know! You've always been a resourceful and independent person. I just want to help, since we're the ones who dragged you back into this whole mess!"_  Mozzie explained.

 _"If you're feeling guilty, don't! I was a willing participant, Mozzie! You didn't force me to do anything that I didn't want to do. Besides, I know my part in this whole music box mess!"_ Alex insisted.

 _"That was years ago, Alex! We had no right to get you involved this time, especially since all you got for your troubles was a bulls eye painted on your back! Please, just let me do this. Let me help you, at least while you're in town!"_  Mozzie pleaded.

 _"Fine! But only on one condition. Don't tell Neal! I don't want him to know that I'm back in town!"_  Alex stated. There was silence on the other end.

Finally, Mozzie spoke.  _"He was asking about you, you know?"_  he said.

 _"Hah! Let me guess, he'd 'misplaced' the music box and wants me to find it again for him?"_  Alex scoffed.

 _"That's not fair, Alex! He is concerned about you!"_  Mozzie defended.

 _"Only when he NEEDS something!"_  she replied angrily.

There was a pause. No one wanted to say anything else that they might regret later. Alex took a deep breath before finally speaking.

 _"_ _Look,_ _Moz, I appreciate your concern. And if you're really serious about wanting to help, then by all means, please do so. Just DON'T tell Neal! I don't want nor do I need his help!"_ Alex told him.

Mozzie knew it was useless to argue with Alex. He knew all too well that she could be very stubborn once she set her mind to something. So Mozzie just told Alex that he will call her back once he has a job for her. He advised her to keep a low profile until then. They said their goodbyes and hung up.

* * *

Day have passed and Alex got another call from Mozzie. It was like back in the old days, when Mozzie would find a job for her to do to help her out when the money was tight. This time, he had hooked her up with someone who deals in Krugerrands, some mob guy from Detroit named  **Russell Smith**. She started fencing the gold coins in increments. Then, she was alerted that Smith was setting her up. Apparently, Smith heard about the bounty on her head and was now about ready to double cross her and hand her over to the people who wanted her dead.

 _Damn it!_  she cursed.

There's really no getting away from these people. It was a good thing that Mozzie had arranged another job for her, some information about a Thayer art piece stolen from the Lampson Gallery. She needed to talk to him about shutting Smith up.

Alex agreed to meet Mozzie at the park. She didn't count on anyone else being there, especially not  **Neal Caffrey**. She tried to steer clear of him, evaded his questions, but mostly, she tried not to stare at his beautiful face. He smiled when he saw her, but the smile never reached his eyes. He was still mourning for Kate, although he wouldn't admit it. She was actually glad that Neal had to leave. She couldn't bear seeing him in that state. That night back at Neal's apartment with Mozzie, she had to tell Neal about the situation with Russell Smith, which actually surprised him. He didn't know that a contract had been put out on Alex's life since the last time they saw each other.

 _Too busy mourning for Kate, I suppose._  she thought.

Alex told him that she didn't need his help, but the truth was, she wanted Neal to help her. She wanted to prove to herself that she was important to Neal too. A part of her was delighted when Neal promised that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Maybe Mozzie was right. Maybe Neal did care about her.

 _Stop it, Alex! He may care about you, yes. But don't ever mistake that for love!_ she reminded herself.

* * *

As she waited for Neal to call, Alex spent her time to think about the questions running through her head. She tried to separate what was fantasy from what was reality. Did she really still love Caffrey, or was that just her dreaming of a happily ever after for her and her son? Once he's done mourning for Kate, will there be enough room in Neal's heart to love again? What are the chances that Neal would even choose to love her? More so, can she even wait that long? Should she even wait for him at all? Will she ever gather enough courage to tell Neal about the son he still has yet to meet? Where would she start? How would Neal react? She tried to come up with answers, she ended up drowning with more questions. She was actually glad when Neal finally came up with a plan. It gave her time to rest her head from all the thinking, and she just put her focus on the job.

Alex couldn't believe what Caffrey's plan was. She had to admit though, it was a good plan. Neal always comes up with good plans. As much as Alex didn't want to wax nostalgic, she missed the days when she and Neal pulled cons together. Those times had been fun for her. Like earlier, back at the university, when she got to slap Neal. Good thing she managed to restrain herself, otherwise she would've slapped him a few more times, and then kissed him to make the pain go away.

As for the FBI's involvement, well, that leaves something to be desired. When Alex first heard that Neal wanted to involve the Feds, she thought he was joking. As much as it baffled her, Neal seems to trust Peter Burke implicitly. The same man who caught him and put him behind bars, twice. But then again, she herself had an eclectic selection of friends, ranging from professional thieves like Aretha, Asher and Zeke, to seasoned operatives like Valerie and Jack. Who was she to judge Neal's taste in companions. So she went along with the plan, which thankfully, all went smoothly. That's one hitman off her back, several more to go. She checked out of her hotel and was on her way to the airport. Now that everything's all over and done with, they're sending her away to  **Italy**.  _Venice._

 _Not too shabby!_  she thought. Plus, she now has a  **Matisse**  to compensate for some of her troubles. She looked at the box that contained the painting as the bell hop put it inside the back seat of the taxi.

Alex chose not to say goodbye to anyone. The plan was just to leave town as quietly as she came back in. She didn't expect see Neal on her way to the airport, who immediately knew that she took the Matisse. Of course, she didn't admit to anything. They did their usual dance, Neal tried to be charming, Alex tried to be coy.

Alex studied Neal's demeanor. The man whose smile didn't seem to reach his eyes. She wanted to tell him about Nicholas so badly, if only to make him realize that he still has someone to live for. She decided against it. It was still far too dangerous to be associated with Neal, much less, be related to him.

Neal Caffrey. He had come a long way, from being that untrained, fresh-faced boy who introduced himself as  **Nick Halden** , who learned his skills under the tutelage of  **Vincent Adler** , to the beautiful man who now stood before her. Master criminal, art thief, forger, con artist, et cetera, turned FBI consultant.

She remembered the younger man he used to be. She remembered the emotions that came with those memories. Deep down, Alex knew that Neal was aware of her feelings for him. Neal just couldn't help it that his heart belonged to someone else. And as much as it hurt her, Alex knew that she needed to accept that. She only wished that a day will come when Neal's heart would recover from losing Kate.

Alex wished him well and warned him that there may still be trouble ahead. Then, she gave him the last piece of the music box, her cherub souvenir. It was time.

 _"I'm giving up my obsession."_  Alex told him.

She kissed him goodbye. Part of her hoped that the Neal would ask her not to go, the other part knew that THAT would never happen.

 _"Goodbye, Alex."_ he said.

It was eerily reminiscent of that time when he said the exact same thing to her over five years ago, back in  **Denmark**. It took everything in her not too cry, as she got inside the taxi.

* * *

On her way to the airport, Alex thought of Neal's words.

 _Goodbye, Alex._  The words kept ringing inside her head.

It wasn't really a surprise to her, but still those words stung everytime she heard it coming from Neal. They all had different roles to play in Neal's life, and she knew her role quite well. Mozzie was the guy Neal always went to if he needed any help. Kate was the great love of Neal's life.

As for Alex, well, she was the  **Goodbye Girl**. That one part of Neal's life that was easiest to let go of. The sooner she accepted that, the better off she would be.

 _Yeah, it was definitely time to move on._  she said to herself.

Maybe then, her heart wouldn't ache so much the next time she sees Neal again. First things first though. She turned to the taxi driver and said,  _"I don't know why you felt it was necessary to dress up like that!"_  she chuckled.  _"That disguise looks hideous, Jack!"_  she mocked.

Jack looked at her through the rear view mirror.  _"How did you know it was me?"_  the Scottish agent asked her.

 _"The eyes were a dead give-away! I thought we already said our goodbyes that night Maidstone got busted!"_  she said.

 _"We did. But you know, it's like what the song said. 'Goodbye doesn't mean forever'. Come on, you didn't really believe you'd get rid of me that easily, now, did you?"_ Jack stated.

 _"Well, I'm off to Venice! I don't know where you think you're going!"_ she teased.

 _"Funny you should mention that! I'm off to Venice as well. It's for this new case I'm working on. I really could use some of your expertise!"_ Jack offered.

 _"I don't know, Jack. I was hoping to finally take a vacation this time. Make it worth my while! Tell me, what's in it for me?"_ she asked playfully.

 _"How about, if you help me with my case, I'd allow you to keep that Matisse you have in there? Actually, consider it an 'order'!"_ Jack challenged her.

 _"Hah! ALLOW? You'd 'allow' me? Excuse me, but I don't need your permission to keep anything! And as for your ORDER, I can't see where you got that ridiculous idea that you can just order me around! Quite frankly, you don't have the authority to 'order' me breakfast!"_  she shot back.

 _"Oh my God! You're going to be a handful, aren't you?"_  Jack said frustratedly.

 _"Look at it this way. You'd never get bored!"_  Alex replied with a smile.

 _"So, what do you say? Up for another adventure?"_  Jack asked her.

Alex didn't really need to think about it.  _"Avanti, Giacomo!"_  she told Jack.

 _"Molto bene, Alessandra!"_  Jack was glad to hear her answer.

 _"Arrivederci, New York!"_  Alex said, as they both headed for the airport.

* * *

~ ** _FINI_** ~

* * *

 ****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 Footnotes :
> 
> *The Gansevoort was the Manhattan luxury hotel used in S1 episode, "The Portrait".
> 
> *Abigail Maitland is a character from sci-fi programme "Primeval".
> 
> *Contains scenes from "Copycat Caffrey", most of them from Alex's POV.
> 
> *Has a couple of spoilers from "Forging Bonds".
> 
> *Added the JackAl scene in the end at the last minute, just so the story won't end in a sad note!
> 
> *All rights to song "The Goodbye Girl" belong to David Gates.
> 
> *Giacomo – James (Italian) Remember Jack's real name is James.
> 
> *Alessandra – Alexandra (Italian)
> 
> *Arrivederci - Goodbye (Italian)
> 
> ***Thank you so much for taking time to read this story. Hoping to write a new one soon!***


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